Reconnected
by Tianessa
Summary: Voldemort isn't killed on Halloween, he dodges the reflected spell with barely a moment to spare.  He doesn't kill Harry, but instead performs a ritual tha will change Harry as he's known and loved, and prepares to give Harry the greatest internal battle


**Reconnected**

**Epilogue**

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Voldemort barely had time to react as the bright green bolt of light sped towards him. At the last instant, he slid to the side and watched as the bolt tore a hole through the wall. For the first time in a long time, Voldemort was panting, his eyes wide with disbelief as he turned to look at the infant before him.

"Impossssible," he hissed in Parsletongue. "What magic can do thissss?" Harry Potter blinked rather shyly, and smiled up at the imposing creature. Voldemort started. No child _smiled _at him! That was for meddling, ever so charming people such as Albus Dumbledore! Voldemort bent over at his extremely thin waist and picked up Harry under the arms, holding him up an arm's length away as not to touch the now frightening child, carefully inspecting him with a calculating stare. After a moment…

"Yessss… he isss the right one." Voldemort placed Harry back in his crib and began waving his wand over the floor of the nursery. Immediately, dark lines began to form pictures, and shapes of every form appeared in shining black. Voldemort's brows were furrowed as he muttered the spells continuously and more runes were drawn. Once the drawing was complete, Voldemort levitated Harry over to the circle and lowed him down into the center of a seven-pointed star. He looked up to the ceiling and began to chant in a smooth, rather relaxing rhythm. Harry's head began to roll forwards on his small neck, and his eyelids fluttered sleepily.

"Grah," he said seriously to Voldemort.

After exactly seven minutes and seven seconds, a bright white began to surround Harry, who started wailing. After a few moments, the white began to gray, and soon a thick black mist was enveloping the screaming infant. Voldemort watched with pleasure as Harry rose into the air and began to rotate. A sickening crunch was heard, and a ghost-like figure of Harry appeared right next to the original. A faint pop, and two solid, identical looking babies sat on the floor looking confused. Voldemort hissed triumphantly and scooped one up, peering at it.

"Yesssss, I sssshall take you. And ssssomeday, when your _perfect_ brother shall fight you, you will truly be loyal to me! And then, nothing will stop us!" With a soft chuckle, Voldemort and the baby disappeared, leaving Harry to stare at the spot where they had vanished, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

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Chapter 1

Harry smirked inwardly to himself as he gathered up his brand new robes and strode confidently towards to ratty looking hat on the ratty looking stool. He placed the hat on his hair, wincing as he felt a few hairs go astray. He sat down primly, and folded his hands in his lap.

"Ahhhhh…. Potter, eh? But what's this? Something missing?"

"No," Harry said. "I didn't forget anything, I've got all my clothes and books and my wand." The voice inside his head chuckled.

"Oh no, silly boy, I meant something missing from _you_."

"What's missing from me?" Harry asked the hat impatiently, crossing his legs.

"Nothing," the hat said dismissively. "Now… where to sort you. Hmmm, very difficult, very difficult. You are definitely cunning, that's for sure. You know how to get what you want. You are smart."

"Put me in Gryffindor," Harry ordered it. "The best people always go in Gryffindor. The cool people." The hat laughed again.

"Hmm… a thirst for popularity, eh?" Harry began to turn red.

"Yes," he said defiantly. "So what if people like me? I'm just better than the other people. So, put me where I want to go. You're a stupid, dirty old hat. I don't have to listen to you."

"If that's what you want…"

"It's what I want."

"If you're sure…"

"I'M SURE!" Harry hissed loudly, causing several people to whisper.

"All right… if you want it… GRYFFINDOR!" Harry stood up and brushed off his robes, looking very pleased with himself. The hat simply stared after him.

"It will be a long journey for you, Mr. Potter. Once you find what you've been missing, things should get very interesting…"

Harry smiled charmingly at the girl sitting across from him, who blushed and turned away, a small smile playing at her lips. A finger tapped him on the shoulder, and Harry spun to face a smiling redheaded boy.

"Excuse me, I'm Ron Weasley. It's nice to meet you," the boy said warmly. Harry looked at his frayed robes, and the smudge of dirt on Ron's nose.

"Hello," he said coldly. "Harry Potter. You've got dirt on your nose." Ron's ears burned bright red, and he stammered uselessly, finally shutting his mouth and turning away to talk to another first year boy on his left. Harry began chatting with the girl across from him, Parvati Patil.

"I can't believe I'm talking to Harry Potter!" she squealed, clapping her hands together. "You're in "Which Wizard", did you know that?" Harry cocked his head to the side and shook it, his perfectly tame black locks flipping over. He gave Parvati a charming grin and listened attentively as she described the self-updating list of "hot" wizards. "So, as you grow, the picture grows, too, but you're much better looking than your picture," she decided. Harry shrugged.

"That's pretty cool, but… I mean… being in the newspaper's pretty neat, too." Parvati's eyes widened, and another girl, Lavender, leaned forward to listen.

"Yes, this little girl was crossing the street and humming to herself, not paying attention in the slightest. Suddenly, a large rumbling noise was heard, and I turned to see this huge truck coming toward her! You do know what at truck is, right?" The girls both nodded fervently, lying through their teeth. "So, of course, I run in the street, scoop her up, and carry her away. I told the police I was simply being a good citizen, but they insisted on taking my picture and writing a three page story."

"You're so brave," Lavender cried. Harry grinned and winked, causing both girls to blush again.

"I am a Gryffindor. What else would I be?"

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"Focus! Don-get out of the way of those, they'll incapacitate you and you cannot allow yourself to be weak at _any _moment during a duel. You must – block harder on those! – That is simply unacceptable, that's too soft… be stronger, you're not _listening_… you're leaving me no choice, CRUCIO!"

Voldemort held his wand out rather lazily, nodding tightly in approval as his victim remained standing with furrowed eyebrows and a look of intense concentration being the only signs of the curse he was under.

"Good. At least you've retained _some _strength after that ridiculously long week break I allowed you. I shall never understand why Bella here found it essential to your growth. Breaks do not improve your aim or give you knowledge."

"Master, it gave him time to reflect. It was good for him," Bella replied imploringly with a surprisingly familiar tone. They obviously had more than a simply master servant relationship. She was his closest advisor, perhaps could even be called an acquaintance, if he had any. He trusted her, hence her comfortableness in speaking with such an opinionated tone in her voice.

The victim gave a small, uncomfortable squirm and shifted slightly, but remained standing. Voldemort hastily took off the curse, mentally berating himself for forgetting about it. He could have done serious harm if he had left it on any longer. Even still, 4 minutes was a ridiculous time to remain sane under the Cruciatus curse, let alone remain standing, perfectly still, and seemingly unaffected. Voldemort smirked slightly. He was doing well.

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"Potter?" Harry raised a hand lazily and smiled charmingly up at his teacher, who raised an eyebrow and did not seem to melt as the other recipients of his grin did. Harry's smile dropped slightly. Professor McGonagall shook her head and remained tight-lipped, thinking about how startlingly similar Potter was to his father. She had nothing but fond memories of the wild prankster, secretly finding his endeavors to be amusing for one of her age. She called out the remaining student's names and walked to the front of the classroom, holding her hands together primly.

"Today we will begin with a simple spell that was allow you to experience the act of transfiguring something without being challenged enough to not be capable of completing your task. You have each received a match, and your task is to transfigure it into a needle. You may begin." At once there were murmurs around the class about how easy it would be and then the room was filled with the muttered incantations and no results. The bushy haired Ravenclaw girl next to Harry struggled a few times, and then produced half a needle. Professor McGonogall inspected it appraisingly and nodded.

"Very good, Miss Granger. A little more enunciation and you should get an entire needle." The girl blushed red at the praise and nodded in fervor. She looked over to her right and her jaw dropped when she saw Harry sitting there coolly, not even attempting to transfigure his match.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, narrowing her eyes and she gazed disapprovingly at him.

"You're _supposed _to be completing the assignment." Harry yawned.

"I can already do it." She raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Then prove it. Do it now." Harry shot her a look but picked up his shiny wand and muttered the spell. The match instantly elongated a few millimeters and turned smooth, silver, and shiny. Granger's jaw dropped.

"Bu-but…you… _you didn't even practice_!" Harry shrugged.

"I'm just good at things. Always have been. I'm smart and athletic and people like me."

"Probably for your modesty," she said with a slightly flared temper. Harry shook his head and grinned.

"For my alluring, mysterious charm and my incredible mystique." Granger huffed in annoyance.

"You're infuriating. I don't think I shall ever like you," she declared.

"I didn't think so," Harry smirked. "I could tell the instant you looked over at me, and so I wasted no talent in wooing you. I could have, if I wanted to. You would have been particularly easy." The girl snorted and looked personally affronted.

"You could never 'woo' me," she insisted. "You're absolutely despicable and I hate you!" The last words were a bit louder and Harry could detect a little tremble in her voice as she spoke. She was very easy to rile up, apparently.

"Do you _have _many friends?" he asked. Granger was taken aback.

"I- yes, of course I have friends!" she replied angrily. "I have plenty of friends. Why, need some?" Harry shook his head.

"Nope. I was just wondering if _anyone _liked you. That's all." Granger froze. And stared at him. Then…

"You're… you're… ahhhh!" she shouted desperately, a tiny tear rolling down her cheek." Harry was startled. He hadn't meant to actually make her _cry_. Granger hiccupped a pathetic little sob, grabbed her books, and fled the classroom. Harry stared after her. God, girls were really sensitive, weren't they? Just a little harmless bantering and they go all doe-eyed and crying. But he felt a little prick of guilt, buried under his extremely confident outer layer. Somewhere.

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Voldemort picked up the letter that had just been dropped on the desk In his chambers. He checked it for charms or curses and then cautiously slit the opening. A piece of parchment fell out. He opened it and after reading it, sighed with impatience and called for an elf.

"Yes sir? What can Pokey do for Master Tommy, sir? Please tell Pokey." Voldemort growled but restrained himself from killing the chattering elf. Most elves refused to work for him and their powerful magic was much stronger than anything he could wield or break through. He had tried a long time ago asking one to teach him, but their magic was bound with protective spells and he could not control them if they were not bound to him. The elf stood patiently waiting.

"Take this to Thane," he muttered the instructions. "It's from Lucius's impossible son." The elf nodded happily, and vanished with the letter in her hand. She reappeared in a room that contained only a bed with a black comforter, a plain wooden dresser, a small closet, and a desk littered in books and scrolls of parchment. It could have been a room in Saint Mungo's. But seconds later, a small boy appeared and smiled shyly at the elf.

"Hello, Blinky," he greeted. The elf's eyes filled with huge tears.

"Master Thane thanked Blinky!" Thane rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Blinky, he's not monitoring me right now." The elf instantly recovered.

"Sorry, Master Thane," Blinky apologized. "I just can't afford to be found out. If he knew that I wasn't that dumb, he'd kill me in a heartbeat. He'd kill all of us elves." Thane nodded and smiled at her.

"So, is that from Draco?" The elf nodded fervently and handed it to him. Thane read through it quickly and smiled in content. "Well, he got Slytherin. That's what he wanted. Although he complained that Crabbe and Goyle are following him around and bugging the crap out of him."

"Wouldn't that last Weasley boy be in his year?" Blinky wondered aloud. Harry paused to think, then grinned broadly.

"Yes! No wonder he didn't mention it in the letter, Weasley's probably a narrow-minded, arrogant, stuck up Gryffindor. Ha. Draco's probably having a grand old time."

"Master?" Blinky said cautiously. "Wouldn't – wouldn't – _Harry Potter _be in his first year, too?" Thane stiffened and turned away.

"Yes." He refused to elaborate. Blinky shifted uncomfortably.

"So… when will _you _be going to Hogwarts?"

"Not until my 7th year. Father wants to make sure I'm prepared to fend off the entire Order, plus Dumbledore and his little sock - who - lived puppet. I'm still too young. I've got to keep training."

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Harry laughed as his roommate Seamus told a funny story about his drunken uncle spitting a sip of Firewhisky across the entire bar. Laughing amongst him were Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown, Dean Thomas, and Ginny Weasley, the popular third year that regularly hung out with him and his group. Harry stifled a yawn, and excused himself to bed. Entering his dormitory, he crawled into his bed and closed the curtains, muttering a locking spell on the folds so that he would not be disturbed. He reached under his covers and pulled out a battered looking notebook, opening it up about halfway. He summoned a quill from his dresser and poised it over the paper, beginning to write.

_Well, I've officially befriended Blaise Zabini. She's a Slytherin, but she's not a blood-obsessed maniac like everyone else in that house. Like Malfoy. That scum, I want to kill him! But, of course, I have to wait for the opportune time. I need his death to add something to my life, contribute something good. I need to stay in his good graces for now – he could be useful later. I was his partner in Potions today. I acted nice and friendly but inside I can't stand him! He's horrible! But he's influential, and his knows powerful people and people with money. That's good for me. I need that. Money and power and very important to get even _more _power. In Charms I was forced to work with that know-it-all Granger Ravenclaw. I know she's brilliant and could help me become powerful, but it's too risky to ever entrust too much to someone else, especially someone as smart as her. So, I mad a few comments about her work and insulted her a bit. She has no confidence, which makes her basically no competition at all. Brilliance without confidence is nothing. Like Weasley, except he _only_ has a lack of confidence. He has no brain. He's narrow-minded, insistent on the black and white Gryffindor-bad and Slytherin-good thing. He's painfully loyal and that will meet him with a disgusting end. Not my problem though. My only problem is myself. I can't afford to think about anyone else. No one else is that important. _

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Hey, everyone! Welcome to my new story, and I hope you've enjoyed the short preview of what's to come. I know its kind of confusing right now, but trust me, I actually sat down and wrote the the entire story out in outline form so I know exactly what will happen in what order and I've outlined most of the chapters already. So, it's not just random stuff going on, everything has a purpose and a plan. I know Harry seems like a jerk, but there's kind of more too it than that. And you've probably already guessed who the mysterious, shadowy victim is because it's pretty obvious, but it's not exactly what you think it is. There's a definite reason both of them act the way they do, and you'll find out later if you keep reading the story! And I apologize for the lack of tabs, I can't figure out how to make them show up. I do it on the saaved document, press save, and they go away. So, I apologize. And I've tried to check my grammer and spelling, but if I make a mistake, I guess you can tell me, but please don't say you hate this just because I made one mistake. The story, plot, and characters are what draw you in, not one comma. So, please review because I'd love to see what people think!


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